{"id":47633,"date":"2016-08-03T00:12:47","date_gmt":"2016-08-03T04:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=47633"},"modified":"2016-08-03T00:12:47","modified_gmt":"2016-08-03T04:12:47","slug":"mahinda-looks-the-other-way-as-supporters-chant-darley-parey-aapa-kadey-opposite-slfp-headquarters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=47633","title":{"rendered":"Mahinda Looks the Other Way as Supporters Chant “Darley Parey Aapa Kadey” Opposite SLFP Headquarters"},"content":{"rendered":"

By<\/p>\n

Rasika Jayakody<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the Joint Opposition\u2019s \u2018Paada Yatra\u2019 protesters approached the SLFP headquarters at Darley Road, on Monday evening, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a patron of the SLFP and a party member for over 45 years, was leading the march.<\/p>\n

The moment they saw the SLFP headquarters, protesters started chanting slogans against the party leadership and its headquarters. They dubbed the SLFP headquarters the \u201cDarley Parey appa kadey\u201d referring to President Sirisena\u2019s infamous defection from the Rajapaksa camp before the Presidential election, last year.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, former President Rajapaksa, the de facto leader of the march, looked the other way when his supporters insulted the party and its leadership. In fact, the majority of the protesters who insulted the party were members of the SLFP and it showed that they had no qualms about dividing the 65-year-old party to boost the political campaign of the Rajapaksas.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Joint Opposition\u2019s protest march from Kandy to Colombo was the second \u2018Paada Yatra\u2019 masterminded by former President Rajapaksa in his long political career. His first, organised in 1992, positioned Rajapaksa as a national level figure among the SLFP ranks and lifted the spirits of the SLFPers who suffered for many years due to internal disputes in the party.<\/p>\n

At the time Rajapaksa launched his first Paada Yatra, he was a relatively \u2018untested\u2019 character in national politics. He appeared as a true defender of human rights and projected himself as a crusader against the crackdown on the country\u2019s youth by the then government, in the light of the second JVP insurrection. He was surrounded by prominent political figures such as Amarasiri Dodangoda, Richard Pathirana, Vasudewa Nanayakkara and Dinesh Gunawardena.<\/p>\n

With his affiliation with the \u2018Maw Peramuna\u2019 (Mothers\u2019 Front), an organisation representing mothers of disappeared youth, launched by Mangala Samaraweera, many assumed Rajapaksa was a firm and unwavering supporter of democracy, human rights and accountability.<\/p>\n

In fact, a key demand of his first Paada Yatra was to probe the disappearances of tens of thousands of youth and the \u201ctorture camps\u201d run by the government\u2019s law enforcement authorities during the insurrection.<\/p>\n

Twenty-four years down the line, Rajapaksa launches his second Paada Yatra as a retired Executive President, who ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly 10 years.<\/p>\n

Rajapaksa\u2019s administration was often dubbed one that brutally suppressed democracy, human rights and freedom of expression. Therefore, the former President was not in a position to repeat the same slogans he used during his first Paada Yatra, calling for freedom, democracy and human rights.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, multiple corruption allegations have been levelled against the former President, his family and close supporters. Rajapaksa has also made history as the first Executive President to lose a Presidential election. Seven months after losing the Presidential election, the Rajapaksa group also lost a Parliamentary election under the former President\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

Those who have surrounded Rajapaksa at this juncture speaks volumes of the UPFA rebel camp\u2019s political integrity. Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Mahindananda Aluthgamage have now replaced the likes of Richard Pathirana and Amarasiri Dodangoda – SLFP politicians with clean track records and integrity. The majority of the MPs supporting the Rajapaksa group deal with multiple anti-corruption investigations launched by law enforcement bodies. The general perception is that this group formed the \u201cJoint Opposition\u201d to exert pressure on the government to refrain from proceeding with anti-corruption investigations.<\/p>\n

If Rajapaksa\u2019s first Paada Yatra was aimed at uniting the SLFP, his second Paada Yatra tried its best to divide the party. It was quite obvious that the Paada Yatra protesters were targeting President Sirisena and his group, saying they \u201cruined\u201d the party by entering into a national government with the UNP. On the other hand, party leaders such as Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Dinesh Gunawardena often talked about forming a separate alliance under the leadership of the former President.<\/p>\n

The SLFP too, took a hostile approach towards the protest march from the outset. As the Joint Opposition announced the protest march, the SLFP announced that it would extend its national government agreement with the UNP until 2020. The party officials also said on no uncertain terms that strict action would be taken against those who take part in the march, defying the party\u2019s Central Committee orders.<\/p>\n

Parliamentarians Dullas Alahapperuma and Kanaka Herath waving to the crowds participating in the Joint Opposition Paada Yatra from a truck mounted forklift, the property of a state institution. Picture by Pradeep Kumara Dharmaratne <\/p>\n

\u201cThe actual need of the organisers is to regain the power lost at the last elections. Their concern about issues faced by the people is just a facade,\u201d Minister Duminda Dissanayake said, speaking to the Daily News on Monday night, soon after the conclusion of the Paada Yatra.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir greed for power is obvious from their hateful statements,\u201d he said, directing his criticism at those who organised the march.<\/p>\n

Dissanayake also added that the attempt of the Joint Opposition was entirely futile, as the government had been democratically elected by the people and is also protected by the clause that the government cannot be dissolved before the expiration of four and a half years of its term.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what will the people who participated in the Paada Yatra feel on the third of this month, other than obvious disappointment?,\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be no change of government and the participants will only be left with pain in their bodies and limbs and the pleasure of taking part in the Paada Yatra, if there is any,\u201d he said.
\n
\nRajapaksa\u2019s speech<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former President Rajapaksa made his intentions clear when he addressed the march at Town Hall, on Monday evening. Although he was permitted to hold the final rally at Galle Face Green or Campbell Park, the former President chose Town Hall as the venue of the Paada Yatra\u2019s final rally. Many believed the former President\u2019s group chose the Town Hall as a political gimmick as it is a relatively smaller place than Campbell Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one is just a rehearsal. Our people should know how to remain in the Opposition. They were in the government for 20 years – this is just to give them the opposition-feel,\u201d the former President said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will come back again. Next time, we will bounce back and we won\u2019t leave!,\u201d the former President told the cheering crowds.<\/p>\n

Quite interestingly, Rajapaksa dubbed the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration a \u201cdictatorship\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know what happened to dictators across the world. The same thing will happen to this pair,\u201d the former President said. However, it was quite clear that he had conveniently forgotten the fact that it was his own administration that was dubbed an \u2018autocracy\u2019 – not just by the Opposition, but also by various independent bodies.<\/p>\n

Another highlight of Rajapaksa\u2019s speech was his attack on law enforcement bodies such as the CID, the FCID and the Bribery Commission.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we launched our first Paada Yatra under the Premadasa government, there was suppression. But, former President Premadasa did not go to court begging for orders to stop the march. That was the difference. Now, when the government wants to suppress the Opposition, they seek the help of the CID, the FCID and the Bribery Commission. Is the government afraid of us?\u201d, Rajapaksa asked, showing his resistance to ongoing anti-corruption investigations.<\/p>\n

It is crystal clear that the \u2018Jana Satana Paada Yatra\u2019 was aimed at strengthening the Rajapaksa camp to face the forthcoming Local Government election. It was largely supported by the party\u2019s former Local Government members attempting to thrive on the \u2018Rajapaksa factor\u2019 at the Local Government election.<\/p>\n

This situation, therefore, compels the SLFP to embark on a comprehensive restructuring programme, without further delay. The party seniors, including former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, initiated that process soon after Basil Rajapaksa held a series of meetings in the Badulla district, but they could not take concrete action to implement the programme on the ground.<\/p>\n

CBK<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was all too evident that the Paada Yatra protesters considered former President Kumaratunga their \u2018common enemy\u2019. Slogans against \u2018Horagolla\u2019 gained high prominence from the beginning of the march. It was in this context that former President Kumaratunga requested the IGP to provide security to the Bandaranaike monument in Nittambuwa as there was a possibility of violent acts committed against it. Kumaratunga said she received information that a group of protesters were planning to pelt stones at the monument.<\/p>\n

The Police responded to the former President\u2019s request swiftly and deployed a phalanx of officers around the Bandaranaike monument. The protesters too, despite their earlier aggression, marched peacefully, without any vandalizing. They did not even chant slogans when they walked past the Bandaranaike monument. At that point, the march was led by Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, one of the key organisers of the Joint Opposition\u2019s Paada Yatra.<\/p>\n

The reasons for former President Kumaratunga\u2019s fears are not unfounded. She ran into an unpleasant experience with Rajapaksa when the latter organised his first Paada Yatra from Colombo to Kataragama, in 1992.<\/p>\n

When Kumaratunga joined the march in Matara, Rajapaksa, the main organiser of the march, scolded her in public using foul language. As a result, Bandaranaike went back to Colombo without taking part in the Paada Yatra to Kataragama.<\/p>\n

The incident, needless to say, left a bad taste in Kumaratunga\u2019s mouth. At that time, no one knew that Kumaratunga would be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the party at the Parliamentary election, in 1994. However, when Kumnaratunga came to power, two years later, Rajapaksa was given the Labour Ministry, a relatively less important ministry in the Cabinet.<\/p>\n

Coal scam<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the SLFP is struggling with its internal issues, the national unity government, on the other hand, is grappling with a major \u2018coal controversy\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Hong-Kong based Noble Resources Limited, which has powerful links in Sri Lanka, initially clinched the first tender in 2009 when the Lanka Coal Company and the Ceylon Electricity Board called for bids to supply the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai for 2.2 million tons. It was widely alleged that the top-brass members of the previous administration, including a very senior official in the financial sector, was involved in the matter.<\/p>\n

Since the first bid, Noble monopolized the trade when it was consecutively chosen by every tender committee for the supply of coal.<\/p>\n

According to Power and Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, during the period between 2009 and 2015, 5 tenders called and each tender was finally awarded to Noble Resources, despite the fact that they were not selected by the tender board but by recommendation of the Procurement Appeal Board or the Cabinet. It was significant that Noble Resources had become the only supplier of coal to Lanka Coal Company during this period, outplaying other bidders in a highly suspicious manner.<\/p>\n

Every time a tender was called and awarded to a party other than Noble it had been cancelled for some obscure reason and the tender was extended to the then sitting contractor, Noble Resources Ltd. According to the Minister, it was the general practice of Noble to create a shortage of coal by not supplying the contracted quantities required for the plant closer to the time when a new tender was about to be awarded; which was one of the reasons why the CEB, the Ministry and the Cabinet were compelled to extend the contract to Noble repeatedly.<\/p>\n

According to ministry sources, Noble won contracts to supply a total of 4.4 million tons during this period. When Minister Champika Ranawaka took over the Power and Energy portfolio, he alleged that coal had been imported sans proper procedures and that an entrenched mafia was to blame.<\/p>\n

Last week, it was found out that the coal controversy had not been resolved, even after the new government came to power. It is a clear indication that the \u201ccoal mafia\u201d was still in operation, despite the regime change in January, last year.<\/p>\n

Power and Renewable Energy Ministry Secretary B.M.S. Batagoda told the Daily News on Sunday that the government had incurred an estimated Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 million loss from the three spot tenders awarded to Liberty Commodities Ltd during 2015\/2016 to supply coal to the Lakvijaya Power Plant.<\/p>\n

This was revealed during an internal audit carried out by S.K.M. Malavisuriya, Chief Internal Auditor of the Ministry.<\/p>\n

According to Malavisuriya\u2019s report dated June 16, 2016, Lanka Coal Company Ltd. has overpaid supplier Liberty Commodities Ltd through a series of spot tender transactions that took place during 2015\/16 shipping season.<\/p>\n

According to the report, the alleged fraud was committed by altering quality parameters, to give advantage to the seller at the expense of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Government of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

As per the original tender document, the ash and sulphur quality parameters were changed by as much as ninety percent. This in turn enabled the seller to supply substandard coal at a higher price.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen asked about this discrepancy, LCC said Liberty Commodities made the contract and the company had cheated. The company in return accuses the LCC. The more serious issue is that the same error had been repetitively done in all the three spot tenders,\u201d Batagoda explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow the LCC had filed a court case against the company saying it has cheated. Legal action will be time consuming and more money will have to be spent for it,\u201d he added, stating that there were serious concerns on why the error was not noted when it happened repetitively.<\/p>\n

He also revealed that the error came to light due to a rift between the LCC and the company in recent times.<\/p>\n

It was in this backdrop that the committee of three appointed to investigate the coal tender issue regarding the Norochcholai coal power plant, handed over their findings in a report to the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, on Monday evening. The committee comprising of K.K.Y Perera, Lakshman R. Watawala and Janaka Ekanayake, was appointed by the minister last month to probe the issue. Many believe that the content of the committee report will be a key factor in determining the future of the coal controversy.<\/p>\n

The findings of the reporting, according to highly placed ministry sources, will soon be produced in Parliament. The Auditor General is also scheduled to submit his report on the controversial coal tender to COPE within the next two weeks.<\/p>\n

That report is being prepared at the request of the COPE. It is reported that the Audit had been submitted to the CEB from time to time since 2009 but the CEB has acted without taking the Auditor General\u2019s recommendations into consideration. Many opine that the COPE report on the coal controversy will stir up a hornets\u2019 nest, especially among political circles.<\/p>\n


\nCourtesy:Daily News<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rasika Jayakody When the Joint Opposition\u2019s \u2018Paada Yatra\u2019 protesters approached the SLFP headquarters at Darley Road, on Monday evening, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a patron of the SLFP and a party member for over 45 years, was leading the march. The moment they saw the SLFP headquarters, protesters started chanting slogans against the party …<\/p>\n

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